Historia: The Perfect Case

The private detective sat at his desk. No one had hired him for a long time. When a woman entered the office, he almost fell off his chair.

“Excuse me, are you the detective?” she asked.

“That’s correct. How can I assist you, madam?”

“I want you to follow a suspicious individual,” she said.

“This sounds interesting,” said the detective. “Tell me more.”

He was excited. It was the big case he’d been waiting for.

“He has a round face, a big nose, and small ears. He is always going into other people’s gardens and sometimes into their houses.”

“That is terrible,” said the detective. “What else?”

“He is often watching me, or following me around. I think he is spying on me.”

“What secrets are you keeping?” the detective asked.

“I’m not telling you that!” the woman said angrily.

“What I mean is: why is someone spying on you?” the detective said calmly.

“You’re the detective. You should tell me. But I do have an idea.”

“Yes?”

“He never speaks, and he walks on his hands and his feet. It’s very strange. I think he could be an alien.”

The detective realised this wasn’t the big case he’d been waiting for.

“Where can I find this alien?” he said.

“In my house,” said the woman. “He’s my cat.”

“I see,” the detective said. He opened the door for her.

But the woman had written a number on a piece of paper. “This is how much I will pay you for the investigation,” she said.

The detective slammed the door.

“When would you like me to start?” he asked.